Hallmark Travel Planners
Offers tours in
Botswana
Kenya
Madagascar
Mozambique
Namibia
Rwanda
South Africa
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Contact info
About Hallmark Travel Planners
Africantravelhub.com is the travel services website that is managed by Hallmark Travel Planners, founded in 2006 by experienced and enthusiastic African travel consultants. We are based in Nairobi, Kenya and licensed to operate tourism and general travel services in select African destinations. The company is also a full member of Kenya Association of Tour Operators - KATO. KATO membership means we are bonded, providing a financial guarantee to the traveler against any deposits made to us.
We selected Hallmark Travel Planners (africantravelhub.com) after careful research. Their pre-booking communication through Levis was professional and responsive, which gave us confidence in proceeding. However, once the down payment was transferred, responsiveness declined significantly, and a pattern of operational and financial mismanagement emerged during the trip.
Key issues included:
• Being required to pay USD 990 in conservancy fees on-site that had already been prepaid, because the company admitted liquidity issues.
• Failure to provide the prepaid coastal beach resort stay, instead rebooking us to Da lower-rated hotel without proactive notification nor disclosure of the rate difference. A partial refund was issued only after sustained pressure.
• Provision of a lower-category safari vehicle for a portion of the trip than agreed.
• Promised water in the vehicle during game drives not consistently supplied.
• Repeated booking errors, including a canceled sundowner activity for a milestone birthday due to payment issues. The activity was rescheduled for the next day.
The most troubling aspect was the reactive communication approach. Emails frequently went unanswered, phone calls were not returned at all, and issues were addressed only after escalation.
During the tour, a reimbursement of USD 1,350 was agreed after we notified local regulatory bodies. Although we were informed that payment had been made, the funds were not received for an extended period. Requests for standard proof of international transfer were not met with appropriate documentation, and repeated follow-up and external escalation were required before the matter was resolved. While the refund was ultimately received, the process lacked transparency and was unnecessarily prolonged.
This trip was planned as a milestone birthday and family vacation. Instead of being able to relax, we spent a significant portion of our time resolving preventable issues. Although financial discrepancies were eventually corrected, this occurred only after sustained effort. Based on our experience, we cannot recommend this operator. Future travelers should ensure that all financial terms and refund procedures are clearly documented in writing.
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I was alone, a little worried about such a long trip, but Hallmark Travel Planners managed everything so perfectly that the whole 7 days passed in the blink of an eye. From Masai Mara, Serengeti, then Ngorongoro Crater - every place is a different story! Richard was my guide in Kenya - he's not just a guide; he knows the jungle. And the Tanzanian guide Fred was very experienced. I've seen all the animals - lion, rhino, and elephant. the best experience.
Switzerland
